The Air India Boeing 787 disaster has rekindled requests for cockpit video recorders around the world, sparking a discussion over pilot privacy vs increased safety. Lessons learnt in emergency situations are frequently the source of advancement in aviation. Every event, no matter how big or small, forces regulators, experts, and airlines to reevaluate their procedures. New technology, enhanced training, and more stringent regulations have all contributed to a significant improvement in safety over time. Every breakthrough, however, raises the question of how much is too much.
Cockpit video monitoring calls are renewed in the wake of the Air India crash
The deadly Air India crash last month has renewed a decades-old debate in the aviation industry over installing video cameras monitoring airline pilot actions to complement the cockpit voice and flight data recorders already used by accident investigators. One of the industry’s most influential voices, International Air Transport Association head Willie Walsh, a former airline pilot, said on Wednesday.
In Singapore, there was a strong argument for video cameras to be installed in airliner cockpits to monitor pilot actions to complement voice and flight data recorders already used by accident investigators. Aviation experts have said a preliminary report from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) raised questions over whether one of the pilots of Air India flight 171 cut off fuel to the Boeing BA.N 787’s engines seconds after takeoff.
Following a deadly crash, the debate over cockpit cameras intensifies
The crash in Ahmedabad, India, killed 241 of the 242 people aboard, as well as 19 people on the ground. As of now, “based on what little we know now, it’s quite possible that a video recording, in addition to the voice recording, would significantly assist the investigators in conducting that investigation on the issue of mental health,” Walsh said.
Advocates for cockpit video cameras say the footage could fill in gaps left by the audio and data recorders, while opponents say concerns about privacy and misuse outweigh what they argue are marginal benefits for investigations. Video footage was “invaluable” to Australian crash investigators determining what led to the Robinson R66 helicopter breaking up in mid-air in 2023, killing the pilot, the only person aboard.
“In the balance between privacy and safety, the scale tips toward safety, unequivocally. Protecting the flying public is a sacred obligation.”
Innovation in safety while keeping the human element of flying in mind
A typical struggle between human comfort and technological capabilities lies at the core of the discussion. On the one hand, safety experts point out that a visual record of the cockpit could show minor but important data, such as body language, control motions, or instrument readings, that could help determine the cause of an accident.
Pilots, however, emphasise that continuous monitoring can foster a pressure-filled environment that could impair performance. There are cultural considerations as well. Cockpit cams may encounter legal challenges in certain nations where workplace privacy is strongly protected by law. In others, obtaining as much information as possible might be the first aim, and focusing on India’s garment exporters as buyers who shift orders.
In 2000, U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Jim Hall urged the Federal Aviation Administration to require commercial airliners to be equipped with cockpit image recorders. Hall’s recommendation came in the wake of 1999’s Egyptair Flight 990 crash, when the first officer intentionally crashed the Boeing 767, according to the NTSB, killing all 217 people on board. The choice will need considerable consideration. A consideration that also involves climate change, as India’s cities need $2.4T to meet climate goals and have a more sustainable environment.
GCN.com/Reuters